The MW collegiate dictionary defines intimacy as something of a personal or private nature. The word is pronounced in-tə-mə-sē , ie. in-to-me-see; wow, that tells me in order to have an "intimate" relationship with God I need to let Him see inside of me. Not the easiest thing to do when we want the whole world to think we have it all together! It is what He desires from us dear friend; yes men and women alike!
What does it look like to have an intimate relationship with God? The first person that comes to my mind is David. Let us look at the first four versus of Psalm 63 (NASB)
Psalm 63:1-4
The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God
1.O God, you are my God; I shall seek you earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
4. So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Wow..wow..wow! Does that make you want to jump out and shout as it does me?
Friend, notice the very first line is O God; when a phrase starts with the word O it means to cry out. From the first line we see David crying out to God telling Him that He is his. Crying out to someone is not a surface emotion, we cry out from a place that is much deeper. David was humble and he told the Lord that he would "seek Him earnestly". When we seek after someone or something we are looking for them, searching, trying to discover. To do something "earnestly" means to have a serious intent, to be intense. David was telling God that he will look for Him with everything in him. David's soul was thirsty, his flesh was vulnerable, weak and nothing but the Lord would satisfy him. The dry and weary land was in Hereth; a place where the Lord sent David to stay when he was hiding from Saul because his very life was threatened by Saul.
How often when we are doing the Lord's work and are faced with enemies do we turn to the Lord first? David listened to the prophet Gad when he told him to leave the cave and go to Hereth because he knew God intimately; he knew that the Lord's prophet was speaking the truth and that the Lord would protect Him; he had seen Him in the sanctuary..a consecrated place, Holy ground. He saw the Lord's power and glory and he believed deeply that the Lord's lovingkindness was better than life itself, he knew that nothing that this world had to offer him could compare to the Lord. He tells the Lord that he will bless Him as long as he lives, that he will praise him and bring glory to Him.
What does all of this say about intimacy? David told God that he trusted Him; trust is not possible without being vulnerable. When we are vulnerable we are allowing intimacy to take place and who better than to be intimate with than God; the Creator of our innermost being.
How will we ever learn to be intimate with people if we can't let the one who created us
in to see?
Praying that you will allow yourself to be vulnerable to Him,
His Servant
Praying that you will allow yourself to be vulnerable to Him,
His Servant
